Differences Paths Taken Make
by the-writing-vampire
Summary: AU. What if Rinne wasn't a "sort of shinigami" but just plan and simple a shinigami? What if he was the one who brought Sakura back to the living instead of his grandmother? What if Tsubasa and his family never left after he became friends with Sakura? How would this effect his relationship with Sakura? How does all of this change the world that Rumiko Takahashi created in RIN-NE?
1. Prologue

**Summary: AU. What if Rinne wasn't half shinigami and half human, but just? How would he and Sakura have met? And how would it affect their relationship? Is there any difference in Sakura's relationships with others? What if Tsubasa never left after he found out Sakura can see ghosts? There will be lots of friendship, rivalry, and Pairing: Rinne/Sakura, one-sided Sakura/Tsubasa.**

**Just a little something I came up with as I thought about the relationship between Rinne's grandparents. His grandparents and everyone else in his family are the same, just not human. They maybe OOC at times, but I blame this on the AU story and my lack of knowing anyone who appears after Volume 5.**

**Also, please note that this chapter is from Rinne's POV.**

Differences Paths Taken Make

By: the-writing-vampire

Prologue:

First Meeting – The Lost Human

She would have fit in just fine. It was perfectly normal to see someone my age walking around here – though most people would find it sad. The only thing about this five year old girl is that she's not a shinigami. Nor is she dead and it's as clear as day that that is the case. She seemed so lost, it reflected in her childlike bluish-hazel eyes.

_Damn those damashinigami!_ My thoughts scream as I walk up behind the girl, and reach for her upper back length twin braided brown hair. I gently give the braid a tug and say: "Hey, little girl. You shouldn't be here."

Turning, the girl shows a shocked and confused expression. It almost makes me laugh, but I didn't.

"I am sorry, but I am lost. By chance, could you help me find my way home?" her trembling mezzo-soprano voice whispered as if it was the wind. I couldn't help but notice that something happens when she speaks. A tug on what humans would call "the heart" but I know to be my life flame seems to compel me to answer _yes, of course_ to her request. I don't understand why it happened, or what it means. All I know is that I couldn't let this little girl come across any harm. The brilliant smile she gives when I answer only makes the tug pull more.

She takes my hand as we walk away from the Wheel and toward the World of the Living. I keep my eyes fixed on where we are going, not really noticing anything other than the hand that holds mine and the road that must be taken to get her back home safely.

"My name is Mamiya Sakura," she says as we approach the gateway to her world. She pauses, waiting for something. It's only after I process everything that I know that she was asking for my name. What harm could my name cause? It's not like we will ever meet again (unless I am the charged with bringing her to the Wheel when her time truly comes), and even then, the chances of her remembering are non-existent.

"Rokudo Rinne," is my simple answer.

She was back where she needed to be. The only thing left to do was remove her memories of the world of the dead and let her get back to her normal life as a normal human. I find myself somewhat regretting that this must be done. But the law was the law. If I do not follow it, I am just as bad as my accursed father [a title that he does not deserve if you ask me or my Grandmother]. So, I did what I had to – I hypnotized Sakura to take the memory of this away. She fell asleep in the bushes, and I turned to walk away. I only looked back over my shoulder once, and it was to leave her with a final message that she would not remember.

"Good-bye Sakura. I hope you live a long, fulfilling life. And be careful who you follow and where you wonder from now on. It was nice meeting you, and I would be sad to see you again soon."

With that, I went home. These events slowly got lost in the whirlwind that is time, and I thought not of them. However, one thing always was clear in my memory of her – a smile that could melt even the most frozen of hearts.

**Well, that's all for the first chapter. Please let me know what you think. The next one will likely involve Sakura and Tsubasa. Do not worry; I have not taken way Sakura's ability to see spirits. How else would they run into each other again?**

**A bit of fair warning: updates maybe rare. I'm not the greatest at updating, as you may be able to tell by looking at my only other story (which I am still working on). I will update when I can, but with my classes starting at the end of August, I give no guarantees on how often I will post. My course work and job come first.**


	2. Chapter 1: Ten Years Later

**Differences Paths Taken Make**

**Chapter 1: Ten Years Later**

**By the-writing-vampire**

Endless walking, that's what it feels like when you are spirited away. It goes on forever, yet at the same time only a second. You lose track of time, too. This is something I know firsthand, as when I was a child, I had been spirited away to a place that almost seemed like a different world. I had been gone for a week, but it only seemed like an afternoon to me. A boy with red hair helped me find my way back. That's all I remember about the boy, his hair color. It's the only thing the always is known about him in the dreams that I have had since that day.

That trip left me with something else too though. Ever since I was abducted to the afterlife as a child, I had the capablity to see the imprints that the dearly departed leave of themselves in this world. For those of you that don't catch my meaning, I mean that I am able to see spirits, ghosts, and the like. Because of this, I have had a little trouble making friends when I was younger. Not that I tell anyone about my ability to see the dead walking, as that would just make my life even more complicated. The reason is that I can't seem to bring myself to get close to others. I don't show my apprehensions toward those around me, but I do know that those I can see and no one else can have a habit of attacking people when they are evil spirits. I can't tell the difference yet by looking at them, so I avoid making friends.

"Hey, Sakura-san!" A male voice calls from behind me. I turn around to see the only other person I know of who can see the deceased: my best friend since Elementary School, Tsubasa Jumonji. He can see ghosts too, so he is the exception to the rule. His hair is black and kind of short (with a bit of a pony tail at the base of his skull). He also has deep blue eyes that are surprisingly perceptive at the right moment, and lightly tanned skin.

"Hello, Tsubasa," I reply with a smile.

"Wait for me, will you?" he calls as he runs to catch up to me. We have walked to school every day since we were kids and found out that both of us could see the departed. That's how he became my best friend, and I his.

"So, how has your morning been so far?" he asks sending me a gentle smile with a slight flush to his cheeks as we begin to walk again. See, it clear that Tsubasa has feelings for me beyond friendship. And I'm not talking about the kind you would have for a member of your family. He hasn't told me about it, but his actions show it as clear as the sun on a cloudless day. As a result, it's a little awkward around him at times. Don't get me wrong, I love him to pieces, just not in the same way. He's my best friend, and I see him as only that. "Any more of your dreams?"

"My morning has been as good as any other, Tsubasa. And I don't have to tell you about whether I have had another one of my dreams!" I respond in my usual calm voice. I don't like telling anyone about my dreams from when I was spirited away. With most people, it is because they wouldn't understand. I mean, it is not every day that you run into someone who had been spirited away by something from the afterlife and has lived to tell the tale. Tsubasa wouldn't understand that part of it, but he is the only person able to understand what came from it. I am not comfortable talking with him about it either. He found out one day, though I'm not sure how I had fallen asleep around him, when I was dreaming. He woke me up, and I told him that it was a dream about when I got my ability to see what I see and left it at that. Naturally, being my friend and all, he was curious and tried to push it out of me. To this day, that battle continues.

"I honestly don't see why you refuse to tell me about it. I mean, I'm your best friend and understand the problems that come with the 'I see dead people' thing. If you ever get to the point where you tell ANYONE about it, it would be me."

I let out a heavy sigh. Tsubasa had used this argument countless times to try to get me to open up about it, but they have never worked. I stop my walking and look straight at him. "Tsubasa, I don't think I will ever tell anyone about it. There are parts that even others who can see spirits wouldn't be able to understand. Heck, I don't even understand what all happens in that dream. So can we just drop it and move on with our lives?"

He gave me a gentle smile and a nod in response. The typical answer for moments where, in his mind, I am positive that he is thinking something on the lines of _How can I tell her "No" when she gives me that face?_ and then go right back to what he was doing before in about a week. I don't understand his feelings for me. Yes, I have a better chance of understanding him than other girls, but that doesn't mean that I am the only one who will.

"Let's get to class." I say as I turn to walk to the school. I have a problem with being late.

"I just hope that one ghost doesn't try to mess with you again, Sakura."

We both let out a sigh, knowing that he will, yet again, be there to try to get me to talk to him, as he does every morning and afternoon.

* * *

The school morning went as it always did. The teacher talks as everyone in the class listens and takes notes. Talking when called on. Nothing out of the ordinary. That is, until about the last period of the day before lunch. After that, everything went from what you expect of a school day to what I'm somewhat use to in my personal life. By this I mean the insanity that comes with the world of the dead and those that can see them.

It all started when a giant Chihuahua ran into the second story classroom from the window. Although I tried to keep cool about all of this, it's kind of hard to do when you have a random ghost pop up out of nowhere and no one else can see it (Tsubasa was out of the class room for some reason at this time). My eyes bugged out a little and I had a bit of sweat on my forehead as I thought _Just great. There's a ghost in here, while it's the middle of a class period, and I can do nothing about it. Maybe it will be gone by the time lunch comes so that I can just act as me and not have everyone think that I'm a freak who talks to them self, when I am actually talking to a ghost._

Little did I know that this Chihuahua would bring me something that would lead to all of my questions about my ability to see those that have passed on being answered. For after my thoughts of the Chihuahua had finished, another otherworldly being had come in to the room. It was a boy about my age with red hair, red eyes, and a strange haori with flames and wheels on it. The description that reminded me greatly of the boy from my dreams, only his age had changed at the same rate as my own.

A feeling overwhelms me as I watch him come into the room the same way I saw the oversized dog enter: Flying through a second story window. He had what looked like a black cat with the face of a little boy resting on his shoulder. His eyes were cool and calculated, as if he was thinking of the best way to answer a complicated problem.

Needless to say, I became shocked to see him again.

* * *

_**And there lies the end of a new chapter. I am sorry it took me so long to update this one. I had a little bit of writer's block, followed by my computer dying after I started a new chapter of this story. I blame the Hunger Games, as it did not survive that. Anyway, I had to restart the chapter after that happened, which was right the weekend before my classes started. I would like to say thank you to all who reviewed this story: KnR fan (guest), Anon (guest), and Manga-fan-99. You are all great, and I appreciate you eagerness for a new chapter. Sorry for the wait you had to deal with.**_

_**In case you hadn't guessed by reading this chapter, Rinne still ages at the rate of a normal human. I will explain that later.**_

_**I would like to take this second to say that I do not own the Rinne series in any way, shape or form. The story is owned by the Reiko Takahashi and the companies that have rights to publish it.**_

_**09/13/2012**_


End file.
